Tips to prevent becoming victim of cyber attacks

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The criminals who hack into major corporations and government installations are the ones trying to get their hands on your personal data. According to Internet security experts, the constant threat of cyber-attacks isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"It's just too easy," said Lt. Mark Stevens with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Fraud and Cyber Crimes Bureau.

Stevens was one of several panelists who participated in a seminar on Internet security hosted by Loyola Marymount University on Monday.

"We as a society need to kind of stay ahead of what's happening, at least pay attention to what's out there and understand what it does and how it works so that we can modify what we do in our day-to-day lives to prevent ourselves from becoming victims in the first place," said Stevens.

The three-hour seminar touched on a wide range of topics associated with computer-related crimes, but much of the talk centered on prevention.

"We must all take personal responsibility for using all of this sophisticated equipment, whether we're talking about our computers, our iPhones," Congresswoman Maxine Waters, who attended the seminar.

Panelists say changing your personal passwords regularly is your best line of defense.

"Security doesn't have to be difficult. The problem with security is that it's not convenient," said Stevens.

Even sophisticated computer users can fall victim to a computer scam. One of the experts at the seminar said he was recently tricked.

"Ten seconds after I clicked on that, I realized the problem and I went through and corrected for what I had done, but it is relatively easy to be fooled," said Clifford Neuman, an Internet security expert and a professor at the University of Southern California.

Recent security breaches at JPMorgan Chase and Home Depot affected tens of millions of Americans. Experts recommend monitoring your credit regularly and checking your bank accounts daily.